Day 50 with David: the lord is family

“When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You’re already aware of my many animal references; yes, I love animals. One of the types of animal stories that interests me most is when an animal of one species “fosters” an abandoned or orphaned baby of another species. We’ve got a sheep that helped raise a baby elephant, an old giant turtle that befriended a baby hippo, gorillas that take care of kittens, a monkey that protects a chicken, a cat that nurses a squirrel, and so on, and so on. It’s heartwarming to see familial love extended to those who are in need.

But then my mind turns to all of the human beings, who-for reasons of abandonment, death, abuse, and so on—no longer have someone to take care of them, someone who is a dependable refuge. I was shocked to find out that over 7,000 children are abandoned per year in the United States. Additionally, there are countries where—for myriad reasons—child abandonment is routine. I need not address children who are subjected to abuse and even murder. It’s really unthinkable when the closest relationship on this earth is missing and/or terribly weaponized.

If you’ve read the Bible to any extent, you know that God does discipline His people. And, there were many times when the Lord was disciplining His children, that they thought they had been abandoned by God. This was the Lord‘s response to them:

“But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49:14-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

God is a wonderful Father; indeed, He is a Father to the fatherless. Consider this: the Lord came to reveal the Paternal attachment that the Lord has toward us. Look how He instructed us to begin our prayers:

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

With that, Jesus also acknowledged that His very existence would be a dividing factor between earthly family members:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:34-36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The good news is that the Lord Himself will be our Father; He will care for us.

In our portion from Psalms today we see David acknowledging the fact that God sticks with us even when our family doesn’t. An examination of David‘s life will indicate how he, all too well, knew the pain of being betrayed or abused by your family. Even as a youth he knew what it was like for his own brothers to treat him with contempt. When he approached the armies of Israel to ask about what would be given to the person who would defeat Goliath, his own brother tried to “shoot him down:”

“But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” “What have I done now?” David replied. “I was only asking a question!”” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭17:28-29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We also see in David’s life how the Lord—time and time again—helped him and rescued him when there was no other help for him.

No matter where you find yourself today. No matter if you feel isolated and alone; you wonder if anybody really cares for you. Please remember that the Lord does care for you, even if your earthly family forsakes you; because, He is your Father!

For today let us know and understand what David knew:

The Lord is family. #100dayswithdavid